San Joaquin County sinkhole swallows third vehicle after driver ignores "road closed" sign
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - The CHP is reminding drivers not to drive around road-closure signs.
Officers say that, on Saturday, a truck drove into a large sinkhole on Kasson Road near Tracy after the driver ignored a "road closed" sign. The driver was cited for ignoring the sign.
Believe it or not, this is the third time someone has driven into the same sinkhole.
On Thursday, a second person drove around the signs and landed their sedan in the sinkhole.
On January 17, someone drove into the sinkhole while the roadway was still flooded. However, at that time warning signs were up.
Bruce Brothers' lives in the San Joaquin River Club, right next to the crash site on Kasson Road.
"People are so stupid. I can't even believe it," Brothers said. "But I'm just like, 'duh.' "
Netomie Cardoza also lives in the San Joaquin River Club.
"And we're sitting here and you hear this big crunch sound," Cardoza said. "And we look out the window and, 'uh oh,' it's another. I don't know. It's ridiculous because it's a big giant barrier, and they were going around it."
It's a cartoon-like finish, only this is a real-life concern. Tracy's Kasson Road washed away in the recent storms.
"There was a retention basin that failed," South County Fire Authority Chief Randall Bradley said. "We've got barriers up so people can not cross. [It's] extremely dangerous to go around those barriers."
The concrete barriers did not stop these drivers, and, by the looks of their vehicles, may not have even slowed them down.
"There was no skid marks from either one of them," Brothers said. "No skid marks, they simply went, 'reeee, ccccccr.' "
Fortunately, no one in either vehicle was seriously hurt, although their reputation as drivers may never recover.
"I can't think of another word besides stupid," Brothers said. "These people shouldn't even have driver's licenses. As far as I'm concerned, I mean, if you're that stupid, you shouldn't have a license."
The CHP added a lot more cones around the barriers to convince drivers to stay away.
The road is expected to be repaired in a matter of weeks.
